Mr. Speaker, I do recollect the motion to bring in 25,000 refugees, and I regret to say that the only party in the House that opposed that initiative was the party opposite. That was quite regrettable because we brought in about 30,000, a mix of private refugees and government-sponsored refugees. It has been a largely wonderful exercise not only for the refugees but a nation-building exercise for us.

As to the specific motion at hand, it is more an issue of timing than anything else, as well as the variety of vulnerable populations. Is a Yazidi more or less important than a Syrian, a Chaldean, a Christian, a Shia, or a Sunni? That is the decision the minister has to make. These are all vulnerable populations, all, arguably, subject to genocidal intent on the part of Daesh.

I applaud the hon. member for bringing her motion, but there is a prematurity to the motion, and a possible lack of reflection on the complexity of the situation.

Mr. Speaker, we all agree that the Yazidi people are in an absolutely terrible situation. The government keeps telling us that actively offering them asylum is a very complicated undertaking.

However, countries such as Germany and Australia have put together plans for this specific group of people. I would like to know if government officials or the minister have talked to those two countries to learn more about what they are doing and about their specific plans for the Yazidi people.

Mr. Speaker, I am advised that IRCC officials have engaged with its on-the-ground partners, presumably the nations that the hon. member referenced, along with the UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration, in order to determine the best response.

The government is clearly engaged. The motion is certainly welcome, but it has to be taken in the context of a larger response on the part of the government.

Mr. Speaker, I will be splitting my time with my colleague from Sarnia—Lambton. It is indeed an honour to speak to this motion brought forward by my friend from Calgary Nose Hill and amended by my colleague from Calgary Shepard.

It is unfortunate that we have to have this debate today, knowing that so many Canadians understand the atrocities that have been committed against the Yazidi people. When we look at what happened two years ago in Sinjar and Iraq, ISIS targeted the Yazidi community, and carried out one of the most brutal genocides that have been witnessed in the world's recent history.

We saw men executed at gunpoint. We saw children crucified by ISIS. We saw Yazidi people being trapped on Mount Sinjar. Many perished from dehydration. The elderly collapsed and died, and ultimately, after the execution of men over the age of 10, the younger boys were moved into terrorist training and were reprogrammed. They were brainwashed and turned into suicide bombers and terrorists. The women and girls were sold into sexual slavery. Those who refused to convert, those girls and women who refused to be sexual slaves were burnt alive. These atrocities were so despicable that the world pronounced them as genocide.

I would like to remind the House that it was only in June that we had before the chamber a debate on a motion that the official opposition brought forward to recognize the atrocities being committed by ISIS against the Yazidis as genocide. The government, the Liberal Party, voted against it. Only a couple of days later, the UN declared it a genocide. Only then, rather than leading, the Liberals decided to follow the United Nations, when the rest of the world, the British House of Commons, Secretary of State John Kerry in the United States, had already boldly proclaimed it as genocide, as did our former Conservative government.

The sad part in all of this is that we are debating a motion today to look at bringing more Yazidi refugees into Canada. We have a government that is very proud of its record of bringing in, or will bring in, 25,000 refugees from Syria and Iraq. The sad part of this is that out of the thousands of refugees that have come to Canada for asylum, only nine of them are Yazidi.

That, in my opinion, is despicable, and I am certain it has to be an embarrassment for the government. I really do have to raise this question, why has the government not brought in more of these poor women and girls who are in refugee camps already in the region, who have been identified by the United Nations refugee organization? Is the government discriminating against the Yazidi people? That has to be asked.

We have people who have been subjected to treatment worse than livestock by ISIS, and largely abandoned by some of the people in the region of northern Iraq.

They deserve asylum. They deserve a place to call home. I know for a fact that organizations across Canada are prepared to privately sponsor them. I know that the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba wants to sponsor these poor Yazidi girls and women, and get them to a safe and secure environment that we offer here in Canada.

We are giving, through the amendment, the government 120 days to act upon the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Syria report entitled “They Came to Destroy: ISIS Crimes Against the Yazidis”, and implementing articles in sections 210, 212, and 213 of the report.

As my colleague from Calgary Nose Hill, the immigration critic for the official opposition, has already said in a written letter to the Minister of Immigration that he could use section 25 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to expedite the asylum seekers in the Yazidi community who are currently in the queue to come here.

As has already been pointed out, Britain, Germany, Australia, and other countries have been able to bring in hundreds of these girls and women, who have been able to escape the sexual slavery, who have been able to get away from ISIS, as often Jihadists and militants hang on to them as comfort wives. This is something we have not seen since World War II when it was practised by the Japanese.

I am glad we have had the opportunity to at least address this issue in the House today. I do not think most Canadians realize that the government, in its efforts to bring in all of the refugees who have been displaced and targeted by ISIS, had not included the Yazidis in its efforts. I know that when we were in government, it was our intention to go after the ethnic and religious minorities who were the primary targets of the atrocities being committed by ISIS itself.

If we are going to ultimately protect people, if the government believes in its responsibility to protect, then, one, we have to have that military force there; two, we have to provide the humanitarian aid and assistance, which we are going to need right now as the battle for Mosul evolves and 1.5 million civilians are at risk inside the city, as 30,000 coalition troops charge the city to root out and destroy ISIS and its roughly 5,000 fighters in the city.

We have to support the surrounding nations that have those refugee camps, and are providing humanitarian assistance, schools, water, hospital services, medicine, but what about the responsibility to protect those who cannot protect themselves? What about the responsibility to bring in those who have been subjected to a genocide?

I have talked many times in this House about genocide, and Raphael Lemkin, the wordsmith and author of the UN Genocide Convention back in 1948. He developed it. He spoke of how different state players and different organizations and groups would target minorities to eliminate them. The UN, just this June, agreed again that what has happened to the Yazidi people, specifically, was a genocide.

If there was ever a time for the government to show compassion, if there was ever a time for the government to use its powers under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to expedite the movement of these poor girls and women away from danger and into the peace and security that we offer here in Canada, this is the time.

We are asking the government to do it within the next 120 days, to follow-through on the UN report and recommendations, and to support this motion as it stands before the House.

Opposition Motion—Genocide Against the Yazidi peopleBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

1:40 p.m.

Winnipeg North
Manitoba

Liberal

Kevin LamoureuxLiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate what the member across the way is saying. What I would ask for is that the opposition recognize that as a government we have taken a very proactive approach in dealing with the refugee issue. It is something that we take very seriously, right from the Prime Minister's Office to the responsible ministers, in terms of making sure not only that we get the job done but that we get it done right.

The horrific actions that are taking place overseas are in fact very upsetting for all of us on all sides of the House. We have demonstrated this with the Syrian refugees in terms of the large number of refugees, and we have been complimented around the world for Canada's approach in dealing with the Syrian refugee crisis.

However, at times we have to go through a process and there are concerns in regard to the timing among a couple of other things with respect to the resolution. Would the member not acknowledge that specifically there needs to be proper processing to ensure that it is done right and we have to work with our coalition partners as much as possible so that we can maximize the benefits for as many as possible?

Mr. Speaker, the question really is for the government and for my friend from Winnipeg North. Why is the government not acting upon the United Nations recommendations 210, 212, and 213 on actually bringing in and accelerating the protection of Yazidi girls and women?

This has been a recommendation since June, yet we still see foot-dragging by the government. This is the chance for the Liberals to actually stand up for a major group that has been targeted and essentially almost eliminated and exterminated by ISIS, but instead they are discriminating against them. I urge my colleague to get behind the motion and ask the government to implement the recommendations by the United Nations, which they love very dearly, and accelerate the immigration and protection of these refugees.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for not only his leadership on this issue but on the many issues relating to foreign affairs.

My colleague mentioned earlier in his speech that in June of this year the Conservative Party put forward a motion and the Liberal Party voted against it, in terms of simply declaring the Yazidi situation a genocide. Even on that point of simply making a declaration, the Liberal Party failed to act. Does my colleague think that part of the problem may be simply acknowledging that there is a problem before we can begin to take action? Would he urge them to get on with it?

Mr. Speaker, it was very disheartening to see the government refuse to recognize this first as a genocide. We brought that motion forward on June 9. A couple of days later we had the vote on it and the Liberals voted against it. June 15 was when the report came out from the UN that ISIS was committing genocide against the Yazidi people.

It is disheartening that the Liberals love to talk like they are out there supporting the responsibility to protect, they are out there addressing these humanitarian crises, and they like to denounce historical genocides, but at the same time, we have a genocide before us today that they can do something about and they decide to sit on their hands instead. To me, that is deplorable.

Mr. Speaker, I am standing in the House today to speak to the important issue of genocide against the Yazidi people and the actions that we need to take now to react.

Canada claims to stand for a lot of things on the world stage. We say we are a place of refuge for those in the world who are persecuted. We say we are committed to eliminating violence against women and children. We say that sexual assault and rape are wrong and we will stand against it. Therefore, I am here today to plead with the House on behalf of those who cannot speak for themselves, to ask the current government to have mercy and to take action now to rescue the Yazidis.

The Yazidis are a religious minority from northern Iraq. Theirs is one of the most ancient religions in the Middle East. They have their own religion, language, and culture.

The Yazidis do not have protected person status in their country, which means that members of the religion can be killed, raped, and enslaved with impunity. Refugee camps are not safe havens for Yazidis because they are full of Muslims who are so fiercely opposed to Yazidi religion and culture that the Yazidis fear for their lives.

Many Christians find themselves in similar predicaments. They cannot take refuge in these camps because they fear persecution. Yazidis in refugee camps are not safe and may be segregated because of either security concerns or persecution.

The problem is further exacerbated by the fact that some Yazidis are considered internally displaced while others are considered refugees. Depending on their status, there can be significant differences in the aid available to them, including access to food, drinking water, shelter, and medical care.

The area around Mosul is full of trapped and terrified civilians, but as Iraqi forces and their allies move to wrest this city from the militants of the Islamic State, one group finds itself particularly desperate and in peril. Scores, perhaps even hundreds of Yazidi women and girls enslaved by the Islamic State more than two years ago are thought to remain captive in Iraq's second-largest city, as the U.S.-backed offensive gets under way in earnest. Activists fear for the lives of these women and children, even amidst hopes that the extremist group's grip on the city could be broken.

Thousands of Yazidi women and children were seized, and men and boys killed or forcibly enlisted in the military, when their traditional heartland was overrun by the Islamic State in August 2015. By a UN estimate earlier this year, 3,200 women and children are still caught in the maw of a vast slave-holding network extending across the group's self-declared but now shrinking caliphate, encompassing parts of Syria and Iraq.

Human rights groups and activists believe that most of the Yazidi captives were sold as slaves or given as gifts to fighters in Islamic State-held areas of Syria. However, some either have spent the duration of their captivity in Mosul or found themselves back in the city after forced journeys between other Islamic State bastions, passed hand to hand like cattle, as their husbands were killed in battle, traded them away, or offered them as presents to relatives and fellow fighters.

Those who have escaped or have been ransomed have described conditions there as grimly similar to other areas where the Islamic State holds sway. Cruel, medieval torments are a feature of daily life, coupled with harrowing sexual and domestic servitude in the households of fighters. Enslaved women are routinely raped and beaten.

Global efforts to help are under way. We have heard about some of those today.

Amal Clooney, a barrister at Doughty Street Chambers, specializing in international law and human rights law, has confirmed that she will be representing Yazidi ISIS survivor, Nadia Murad, and other victims of the Yazidi genocide. Amal will serve as their council in their effort to secure accountability for the genocide, sexual enslavement, and trafficking of Yazidi girls and women by the militant group, the Islamic State in Iraq. Efforts to achieve accountability will include seeking an International Criminal Court investigation and prosecution of the crimes committed against Nadia Murad and the Yazidi community.

Nadia Murad is a 21-year-old victim of ISIS crimes in Iraq and one of the thousands of Yazidi women who were abducted and enslaved by ISIS. She was brutally raped by more than 12 ISIS members over a period of three months. After her escape, Nadia spoke out about her experiences to draw attention to the ongoing genocide.

ISIS attacks began the genocide. The attacks have resulted in the death of an estimated 5,000 civilians, the enslavement of at least 2,000 women and girls, and the displacement of 400,000 people from the Yazidi homelands in Sinjar, the Nineveh plains, and Syria.

When asked why she decided to take on the case, Amal Clooney stated that the European Parliament, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the U.S. government, and the U.K. House of Commons have all recognized that there is genocide being perpetrated by ISIS against the Yazidis.

How can it be that the most serious crimes known to humanity are being carried out before our eyes, but are not being prosecuted? We know that thousands of Yazidi civilians have been killed and thousands of Yazidi women have been enslaved by a terrorist organization that has publicly proclaimed its genocidal intent. We know that systemic rapes have taken place, and they are still taking place, yet no one is being held to account.

The situation facing the Yazidi people has also been internationally recognized. In June of this year, the United Nations Human Rights Council issued a report stating that the Yazidi people are victims of genocide. The report also outlined possible remedies to the situation.

Shortly after that, the Canadian government formally took the same position on the Yazidi people, but it has not taken any concrete action to date.

Others have recognized this terrible situation and have begun to help. Canada should be helping, but from what we know we have only rescued nine Yazidi families out of the more than 50,000 refugees who have been brought to Canada so far. This is an absolute shame. Most of the Yazidis who are currently being persecuted came from Nineveh. Do you remember Nineveh from your historical studies? This was the place that—

I just want to remind hon. members that debate is taking place. It is nice to see people being collegial and talking to each other, but it is getting a bit loud. If hon. members are having a conversation, I would appreciate it if they would take it to the lobby. Thank you.

As I was saying, Mr. Speaker, we need to help the Yazidis and also the Christians there.

The debate today and the motion is about Yazidis but it could just as easily be about Christians. For the first time in over 2,000 years, there are no Christians left in Mosul. They have been obliterated while the world stood by and watched. According to the latest census in Canada more than 60% of Canadians claim to be Christian. How can our country stand by and watch while our brothers and sisters are erased from the planet?

The Christian population of Syria alone has gone from 30% in 1920 to less than 10% today. That is 4.4 million people, or nearly the equivalent of the Holocaust. Although the motion is about rescuing the Yazidis, which is critical, the same could be said and should be said for persecuted Christians.

I call on the Liberal government to fast-track the refugee claims of Yazidis seeking to come to Canada. The reality is that very few Yazidi people have been recommended for resettlement in Canada. Many Yazidi victims wait more than five years for resettlement by the UNHCR. This is not just another refugee crisis. This is clearly an act of genocide based on religious beliefs. Both the UN and this government have recognized this.

I am calling on the Liberal government to act to rescue these Yazidis, especially Yazidi women and girls, bring them to Canada, and save them from brutal acts and death. Please have mercy. Please act now. We have been talking about this for almost a year.

Mr. Speaker, during the last election the member's leader was scaring Canadians by saying that if we received more refugees, they would be a threat to the security of our country. Now that we are a year into this mandate, I am curious if the member still agrees with her former leader. What is her opinion on what his position was?

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member's question is absolute nonsense. We were the ones who took action to start bringing in refugees from Syria and Iraq. We were committed to doing that. It is utter nonsense to think anything else.

Mr. Speaker, my colleague spoke about the many different religious groups that were being persecuted and killed. The reason that we hear about the Yazidi women is that in one instance 700 husbands were taken outside the city and shot, all within two hours. The children were taken away and many of them were trained to fight for ISIL. ISIL continuously targets Christian groups, Yazidis, and Muslim groups that do not see things the ISIL way.

Could my colleague perhaps tell us a bit more about the plight, not of the Yazidi people as a whole, but specifically of the women who are there as refugees?

Mr. Speaker, definitely they are being raped every day. Every day that the government does not act, more women are being brutally raped. I hear a lot about talking, and consulting, and visiting, and thinking, but what I really want to hear about is action to bring these Yazidi women here.

Mr. Speaker, the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia have reached a peace agreement after 52 years of armed conflict.

The Bloc Québécois commends this historic agreement and congratulates the Colombian president, Juan Manuel Santos, who was recently awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

However, the people of Colombia rejected that agreement by a very narrow margin in a referendum with a very low turnout rate. This referendum illustrates just how hard it is to rise above the suffering left by 52 years of conflict and grief; it is hard, but also courageous.

For the sake of all the direct and indirect victims of the conflict, for the sake of the younger generation, who deserve a safe country in which to flourish, it is important to pursue the path of peace.

We urge all sides to continue the dialogue in an inclusive process and choose the brightest possible future for all Colombians.

Mr. Speaker, Saint John—Rothesay has an amazing history. In 1631, Charles de La Tour was named governor of Acadia. He built a trading fortress at the mouth of the Saint John River. In 1645 Fort La Tour was attacked by Charles d'Aulnay, who had a competing claim to be governor. The Battle of Saint John was the climax of the Acadian civil war. La Tour was away. Vastly outnumbered, his wife led the defence. After a stalemate, d'Aulnay offered them amnesty. He hung them all, forcing Lady La Tour to watch. She died soon afterward.

Fort La Tour was finally taken by the British in 1654. Active for over 5,000 years; occupied by the Maliseet and Mi'kmaq nations; attacked by the British, Scottish, and French forces, this site is of national significance.

Fort La Tour connects the integrated traditions that make up our nation. Working with Beth Kelly Hatt of the Fort La Tour Development Authority, Andy Dixon of the Port of Saint John, Mayor Don Darling, and Minister Ed Doherty, we hope they get shovels in the ground before Canada 150 to build this historic asset.

Mr. Speaker, the North Okanagan—Shuswap is an amazing place to live and work. It is amazing partly due to the variety of small businesses that thrive and support our local communities.

Whether on a snowmobile tour of the glaciers near Eagle Pass, or a scenic paddle on Kalamalka Lake; whether a grape grower, like Graydon at Recline Ridge, or a welder, like Wayne at Valid; or whether enjoying a Merlot on a wine tour with Mary-Jo, or a drink of milk with a dairy farmer, like Henry, we are part of supporting small businesses that keep our communities employed, fed, and sometimes wined and dined.

During Small Business Week, I salute the small businesses of the North Okanagan—Shuswap and encourage everyone to visit what I consider to be the best place on earth. Visitors may never leave.

On this, the one year anniversary of my first full day as a member of Parliament, I thank again the members of the North Okanagan for placing their trust in me. I promise to uphold that trust.

Mr. Speaker, Centennial College in Scarborough revolutionized post-secondary education in Ontario, and this week it celebrated its 50th anniversary.

At its inception, Centennial College had 514 students and offered only 16 programs. Today, it has grown to be a world-class institution, with over 40,000 full and part-time students. It has an alumni base of over 120,000 graduates.

Centennial College currently offers a wide variety of programs across five campuses, including one in my riding of Scarborough—Rouge Park.

As a former student and instructor, and more recently, as an MP in Scarborough, I am incredibly proud of Centennial's role in being a gateway for success for people of all ages. It has prepared generations of Canadians to enter and advance their careers.

I want to thank the president, Anne Buller, and all the students and educators who have shaped Centennial College over the years into the incredible institution it is today.

Mr. Speaker, last week I was happy to spend Thanksgiving with friends and family in my beautiful riding of Kootenay—Columbia. On October 16, I celebrated World Food Day with the Kootenay conservation group, Wildsight, through its Food For Thought online summit.

The summit offered communities across the country an opportunity to engage in meaningful discussion on what we can do to raise awareness about food security at a local level. Supporting and celebrating local farmers, food manufacturers, and retailers is essential to achieving food security goals.

As we take time this week to celebrate National Small Business Week, we should also celebrate all levels of local food production in Canada. That is why I was proud to table my private member's bill, Bill C-281, which would designate the Friday before Thanksgiving each year as national local food day.

Food matters from farm to fork. I urge all members of Parliament to support our local food businesses and national local food day.

Mr. Speaker, the east end of Hamilton has produced many outstanding Canadians, none better than those from the Copps family. Sadly, the matriarch of that great family, Geraldine, has passed away. She was the wife of our greatest mayor, the mother of a deputy prime minister, a member of city council, a citizenship court judge and, in my case, a good neighbour. As kids, we made sure to stop at their house on Halloween because Mrs. Copps gave out the best treats.

Later, when she entered politics, we learned that the nice lady was also a fiery competitor and never one to back away from a challenge. For her children, though, Sheila, Brenda, Mary, and Kevin, she was a kind, generous, thoughtful mother and grandmother, deeply loved by her family and all of those close to her.

How proud she must have been when her daughter, Sheila, became the first sitting MP in Canadian history to give birth, when Danelle was born in 1987; and proud to drop the first puck ever in Copps Coliseum. Gerry Copps was truly Hamilton's first lady and her gifts carry on through her wonderful family.

Mr. Speaker, I am truly humbled to rise in the House today to say thanks to an incredible group of volunteers who gave their time and effort and believed in a guy from the Cariboo with big dreams, because without their help, I would not be rising in my seat today.

After 65,000 kilometres driven, over 30,000 doors knocked on, and over 60,000 phone calls made, one year ago yesterday the incredible people of Cariboo—Prince George elected me. I want to thank everyone who has joined me on this incredible whirlwind of a journey. I thank them for their calls, emails, Facebook posts, and tweets. I thank them for believing in me.

I hope that over the last year I have delivered on my promise of being visible and present. I hope I have demonstrated that I am willing to stand and fight for the Cariboo, to deliver the voice of the Cariboo to Ottawa. Moreover, I hope they have seen a member of Parliament who cares deeply about our region.

From Kelly, Kassi, Jordan, Kaitlyn, Josh and me, I want to say thanks.

Mr. Speaker, my ambitious city of Hamilton is making a feast of Small Business Week by hosting its first annual NOSH festival, a week-long celebration of the city's culinary scene.

NOSH is showcasing the variety in Hamilton's kitchens through a series of mouth-watering events. There are many diverse foodie scenes in Hamilton. I have had the pleasure of enjoying wonderful meals at the Ancaster Mill, Quatrefoil, Koosh Bistro, Carmen's, India Village, Sammy Jo's, and the Bean Bar, to name a few. The local stores that I shop at regularly, like Cumbrae's and Picone Fine Food, contribute to the incredible food scene in The Hammer.

Hamilton is just a delicious place to live these days. I invite you, Mr. Speaker, and all of my colleagues to come and taste what Hamilton has to offer.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that I inform the House of the passing of Dr. Douglas Peters, my predecessor as MP for Scarborough East.

Born and raised in Brandon, Manitoba, Dr. Peters rose from humble beginnings to pursue a distinguished career as a banker, economist, and public servant. He took his first job as an entry-level bank clerk before graduating from Queen's University, and then earned a doctorate at the prestigious Wharton School of business.

In 1966, Dr. Peters became the chief economist and senior vice-president of the Toronto-Dominion Bank, a position he held for 27 years. He was elected to Parliament in 1993 and was in the cabinet until 1997. A committed Keynesian, Dr. Peters advocated a robust role for government in the economy. Following his retirement from politics, he volunteered with the Canadian Executive Service overseas. His task was to reform the post-Soviet banking system.

It is with a profound feeling of respect that we say farewell to this impressive parliamentarian. Our thoughts and prayers are with Dr. Peters' family at this difficult time.

Mr. Speaker, today I wish to acknowledge an incredible individual whom I have had the privilege of working alongside for many of my 10 years as a member of Parliament. I am speaking of Tana Nash, executive director of the Waterloo Region Suicide Prevention Council.

I thank Tana for sharing her personal story of grief and loss and for turning her loss into something so positive. Her personal warmth, coupled with her vast knowledge, make a difference for so many Canadians. In addition to her work in establishing world suicide prevention day and other initiatives in the Waterloo region, I want to recognize her work as executive director for the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention.

As she focuses her efforts locally, once again I thank her on behalf of all residents of Waterloo region for her tireless dedication to suicide prevention across Canada and the great example she sets in the community. Tana is a hero to many, including me.

As the government prepares to report back to Canadians on progress regarding a national framework for suicide prevention, I look forward to working with her to offer hope to all Canadians.